Investigation of factors and underlying mechanisms related to disordered eating behaviors in eating disorders based on ambulatory assessments

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26860488
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: National Center for Global Health and Medicine (2017-2018); National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (2014-2016)
• Principal Investigator: Kikuchi Hiroe 国立研究開発法人国立国際医療研究センター, 病院 心療内科, 医長 (10581788)
• Research Collaborator: YOSHIUCHI Kazuhiro
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 摂食障害 / 食行動異常 / 日常生活下調査 / EMA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Eating disorders are characterized by disordered eating behaviors such as fasting, binging and purging and behavioral, psychological and physiological aspects are associated with each other. The aim of this study was to investigate factors and underlying mechanisms related to disordered eating behaviors based on ecologically valid data using ambulatory assessments. The results suggested that calorie intake was associated with cravings and autonomic nervous activities before meals; change in cravings after food intake was associated with the amount of calorie intake; and glucose level was associated with psychological states and appetite. Given that Just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) is currently gaining attention in treatment of eating disorders, these results are expected to lead to identification of treatment targets in JITAI.

Free Research Field

心身医学、行動医学、心療内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果はこれまで患者の想起に基づき評価されていた病態を日常生活下の生態学的妥当性の高いデータに基づいて定量的に示した点で重要なものである。また、摂食障害治療においても日常生活下で随時状況に適応した介入を提供するjust-in-time adaptive intervention（JITAI）が期待されており、今回の成果はJITAIにおける治療標的の同定につながるものと考えられる。